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Join patriots at July 4th celebration

By Max Baumgardner
Franklin Grove

July 1, 2013

Soon, all the newspapers will be filled with gala events for the upcoming Fourth of July holiday – backyard picnics, fireworks under the stars, fun-filled ball games, parades, and any number of ways for us to celebrate our independence.

One such event will be a reading of the Declaration of Independence at the Franklin Grove Historic Society’s Pioneer Village.

Here you will listen as Tom Wadsworth reads the inspiring words written by Thomas Jefferson defining how this nation – our nation – was declared to be free from the obstacles imposed by Great Britain.

A community choir will sing several inspirational songs. Five of your neighbors will – in their own words – describe “what freedom means to me.” American Legion members will proudly post and remove the American flags. Scouts will install the flags of the original 13 colonies … and a bell will be rung to denote the joy to be sensed at each step of the program.

John Adams wrote in 1776 that this day should “be commemorated as a day of deliverance by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty” and that it should “be solemnized … from one end of this continent to the other from this time forward forever more.” This program is an attempt to fulfill that desire so nobly expressed by one of our Founding Fathers.

Come join other patriots for the celebration at 9 a.m. July 4 at the Franklin Grove Chaplin Creek Site. Bring a chair, maybe an umbrella (for either rain or the hot sunshine), and plan to stay for refreshments.

The program is only about 1 hour long, so you’ll have plenty of time to return home and enjoy your family gatherings, play ball games, watch a parade, and witness the fireworks at night.